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Homemade Chocolate Cupcakes

Any time is the right time for Homemade Chocolate Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting

One thing is for certain. Chocolate Cake and Buttercream Frosting go together like Peas and Carrots or Bread and Butter. And I ask you, what’s better than chocolate and frosting? Especially when we are talking about homemade chocolate cupcakes and frosting. Which we are.

What if I told you these homemade chocolate cupcakes come together super easy, and you will wonder why you waited so long to make baked from scratch cupcakes?

Still need convincing? Look, I couldn’t even get through the pictures without gobbling up this one. They are that good.

The before

The aftermath.

Let’s take a minute, and get real about the state of cakes in 2019. I want you to know that you can still make something pretty and very delicious even if you can’t do the next level cake decorating acrobatics we see every where.

There’s a lot of pressure to do fancy cake decorating these days. SO MUCH PRESSURE. Like it’s normal to whip up 6 layer cakes in a home kitchen a couple of times a week. And get perfectly smooth, crumb coatings on those cakes which are then followed up with extensive piped decorations.

I’ve been around the block a few times, and these cakes that people make now are fancier than any wedding cake I ever saw in all my years of doing wedding photography. Which I did for many years.

And while decorating a six layer cake is compelling to watch on instagram, it’s not practical. And it shouldn’t stop the rest of us from enjoying normal cakes and cupcakes.

That blend of pink and white is so, so pretty.

I say it’s time to step away from the circus and embrace a little normality.

Honestly, all this over the top decorating and baking leaves people feeling like why bother to make plain old stuff when they should be making cakes that look like animals or stacked layers so high you need extra oxygen to frost the top.

Let’s focus on making good bakes. Let’s get the mixing and baking and measuring right. Let’s enjoy the process and enjoy the eating and sharing. Isn’t that what all this baking rigamarole is about?

I paired this cupcake with my own recipe for American Buttercream Frosting. I’ll link that for you, and please note that it includes a video so you have plenty of explanation.

Half of the frosting is colored pink and left the other half white. I loaded it on either side of my piping bag to mix the colors and while it didn’t exactly swirl, it’s still pretty. The topped the cupcakes with edible silver stars from the cake decorating section of my craft store.

And voila. A beautiful little cupcake that everyone will enjoy eating and you can feel proud to share. No six layer cake shenanigans required.

For the Buttercream Frosting:

Instructions

For the cupcakes:

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners. Line a second pan with 2 liners – this recipe makes 14 – 16 cupcakes. Set aside.

Sift and whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl until thoroughly combined. Set aside.

In a mixer using the paddle attachment, beat the eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, and vanilla together until completely smooth.

Pour 1/3 of the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Then half of the yogurt. Gently combine on low for a minute. Add another of the dry ingredients followed by the yogurt. Finish with the dry ingredients. Mix together until *just* combined; do not overmix. The batter will be thin.

Pour or spoon the batter into the liners. Fill only halfway to avoid spilling over the sides or sinking. Bake for 18-21 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Frost cooled cupcakes however you’d like. I used Wilton Star 2110 piping tip for these pictured cupcakes. Top with sprinkles, if desired. I used these stars. Store leftovers in a sealed container for up to 5 days.

How to make the Frosting:

With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy – about 5 minutes. You’re going to run the mixer for the full 5 mintues.

Turn the mixer off and add the sifted powdered sugar in two additions. Run the mixer on low to incorporate. Bring the mixer up to medium high and run for about 4 minutes with each addition. Once the sugar is mixed in, add the cream and the vanilla bean paste with the mixer running on low. Increase to high speed and beat for another 3-5 full minutes.

If you need to make adjustments, add some more confectioners’ sugar if frosting is too thin or another Tablespoon of milk if frosting is too thick. Add a pinch of salt if frosting is too sweet. (I like 1/8 tsp salt.)

If you would like to add color to your frosting, a gel paste is best. You will use less and you won’t ruin the structure of your perfect buttercream frosting.

Cover tightly and store for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.

Notes

I piped my cupcakes using that huge star tip and then sprinkled the edible silver stars to finish them off.

Did you make this recipe?

Hi there, I’m Patty.

Sewist, Baker, Maker

I love figuring out new ways to use pom poms, where I can stash more fabric, and I’m always wondering what to bake next…chocolate or lemon? When not dreaming up new things to make (or bake), I love riding my beach cruiser on the Boardwalk, escaping to mid week movie matinees, and planting new things in my tiny but mighty container garden.